


Glittery

by PaulrissaRahany



Series: 2020 Benevieve Christmas [1]
Category: Heartstrings - Fandom, Manifest (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaulrissaRahany/pseuds/PaulrissaRahany
Summary: "You light me up like starlight on a Christmas tree"
Relationships: Ben Stone / Genevieve Carson
Series: 2020 Benevieve Christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040186
Kudos: 5





	Glittery

And every time you touch me  
I shiver right down to my toes  
You've got a strange effect on me  
\---

Ben couldn’t help himself as his eyes slid towards the direction of the loud laughter. He’d offered to help with the decorations, but both of the hired ‘help’ had quickly shooed him away from his own living room. His son adored Genny and while they’d missed the rest of their family, she had quickly stepped in to be someone to take care of his son. 

There wasn’t any reason for Genevieve Carson to want to continuously stay around his family--yet she happily spent time with both of them. 

“More!” He heard the young boy shout at Genny. “I’m almost there! I can almost reach it!”

“Cal, any closer and I’ll knock over our tree!” 

While she was denying moving any closer, Ben could hear the laugh that she was trying to hold back from Cal. 

“I’m not going to be able to reach the star--DAD! Dad?” 

Ben had been counting down the minutes that he was called into the living room. At first, he had thought it’d be the wrapping of the lights around the tree. Yet, that had passed and several other instances had caused him to head into the other room, but he was finally being called upon. 

There were only a set amount of University papers that he could grade before slowly going crazy. There were too many wrong theories that would soon pop up as facts in future years--and he needed a break. This was the perfect distraction. 

“Did I hear my name?” Ben had put down his pen and answer key immediately. Their small Manhattan apartment allowed him to take a mere few steps to stand in their decorated living room. Genny had Cal in her arms, attempting to push him up higher to place the final star on top of the tree. The room was decked out in red, gold, and green decorations. It was unlike anything he’d seen since they came to this timeline. Only Grace would be able to go this far with their decorations. 

“Cal--Gen--” he grinned when he caught Genny’s eyes glance over towards him. It was clear that she knew exactly how long he’d been waiting. They had a type of connection that they didn’t need empty words. 

“Alright, buddy, get over here.” He lifted the boy up over his shoulders to allow Cal easier access to the top of the tree. “I’m going to give you a lift up--but you still have to be careful to not hit your head.” 

“We were so close!” Cal pouted as he climbed on top of him, then reached to grab the star from Genevieve. “Genny and I did the rest of the lights by ourselves. Don’t they look so cool?” 

“This place looks amazing,” Ben promised. His arm gently brushed up against Genny’s as he pulled the boy up closer to him. They were always able to enjoy the subtle touches with one another. 

Cal still struggled to reach the top of the Christmas tree, but his body swayed as he leaned forward. The motion caused Genevieve to reach up to grasp the edge of his shirt. “Careful, Cal,” she warned. Her hand gently pushed forward on Ben to encourage his steps forward. “A little closer, babe--” 

The touches caused Ben to react to her presence. He should be used to having them by now, but each time it felt a little different between them. 

Cal’s hand shook, but finally helped the golden star onto the top of the tree. “Look! I did it!” 

The excitement from both of them popped off their faces. Genny couldn’t stop watching her gorgeous boys enjoy the magic of Christmas in their home. “Okay, okay, put him down before he squirms off your back.” 

Ben chuckled, but quickly agreed. Cal was already too big to be up there, but he was no longer a young kid either. “How about you turn the light on buddy?” 

It was an innocent suggestion, but when Cal turned his back--it allowed Ben to wrap an arm around Genny’s waist. It would be a quick moment between them, but as the Christmas lights sparkled against the dark background, he pulled Genny as close as possible to him. 

\---  
You light me up like starlight on a Christmas tree  
Every single kiss is like a gift to me  
And I love the way you decorate my heart  
\---

Perhaps heading to her parents home for Christmas gave them the wrong idea, but she could tell just how much her family enjoyed the Stone family. Her mother fawned over the youngest Stone--making sure that all his favorite snacks were baked and put away in gorgeous individual packages. Her father would never admit how much he loved talking about the stock market with Ben. It was perhaps a tad unfair considering Ben had knowledge of what the future held, but the gentle chuckle that her father gave every time made it more than okay. 

While the family may be used to a white New York City, it was so clear that the mountains still fascinated Cal and Ben. They spent so much time sledding and building snowmen that she could barely keep up with them. It wasn’t until the evening that she’d finally see two exhausted boys dragging their sleds up to the back doors. 

Ben would always help Cal clear off the snow from his boots, but Genny would always be the one to reach up to Ben’s coat to brush off the fluffy snow. Somehow, they’d end up in a wrapped up mess before Cal would run in to tell Grandma Olivia that he wanted hot chocolate. 

It was then that Genny would feel the cold of Ben’s nose sneak a quick feel at the base of her neck. 

“Ben!” Genny laughed and tried to put him at arms length. They tried to be so careful with touching between each other while others were around. 

“What? I’m cold!” He didn’t bother moving away from her. Instead, he pulled her body closer so she could feel the cold ice seep into their wool coats. “I didn’t get to push you in the sled today, so I missed you,” he murmured. 

The comment had her immediately smiling and wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. “Oh, I have no doubt that y’all found things to keep you occupied.” 

“Mmm, yes, but they weren’t quite as enjoyable as what they could have been.” Ben pulled back from tickling her neck. 

It gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak in and kiss him gently. His lips were frozen, but she didn’t mind the freezing temperature. “We both know that wouldn’t have been true, but--” 

“Guys! If you don’t get in here soon--” 

The warning was given to them by Michaela before she swung open the door to get them. 

It was enough time for both of them to separate themselves. 

“Yes! We’re coming inside--” 

“Mic, we’ll be inside soon--” 

The immediate similar answer had themselves grinning at each other, before he reached down to grab her hand for a few more moments.

\---  
The winter is so gray, feels like  
The ice is here to stay  
But when you look at me, you know you  
Melt it all away  
\---

It was strange that their families seemed to merge so well, but it wasn’t shocking. The timeline differences weren’t always easily seen--and her own parents just liked seeing her with someone. No matter how many times she promised that she and Ben weren’t together, she couldn’t help but catch her mother’s knowing eyes. 

No, they weren’t dating, but they were both unable to stop touching each other during the Christmas break. 

“Mom told me to put extra marshmallows in your mug--she said it makes you happier,” Genny teased him. 

She could see Ben’s eyes light up a bit more. Her mother had been right. 

“That’s not needed,” he promised. 

They had originally started sitting in the seats across from each other, but after a couple Christmases, they had migrated to the front porch swing. The awning protected the porch from the snow and allowed them to spend a few last minutes to enjoy the cool air. 

They’d both prefer to be surrounded by the warmth of the fire, but they couldn’t curl into each other in front of Cal. They couldn’t even do that in front of his careful watch. Genny felt like he was starting to realize that his father was probably struggling with being alone, but it was still needed to protect him. When they go back, she doesn’t want a few stolen kisses to take away Cal’s view of his father.

“You’re overthinking,” he whispered in her ear. 

Genny hadn’t even mentioned anything, yet, she happily leaned over to rest her head against his shoulder. “You don’t even know what I’m thinking about, Ben.” 

“The same thing that you--always think of when you get such a serious look on your face,” he told her. He switched hands that were holding the mug so he could pick up her cold hand with his now warm one. “How you got stuck with a toddler for a best friend.” 

The wrong answer had the anticipated reaction. Genny laughed and leaned against his chest. “Right--right, exactly.” 

They were both freezing, but the chance to remain together was worth the cold. They deserved these stolen moments while they could still grasp onto them.


End file.
